Gas turbine engines operate to produce mechanical work or thrust. Specifically, land-based gas turbine engines typically have a generator coupled thereto for the purposes of generating electricity. A gas turbine engine comprises an inlet that directs air to a compressor section, which has stages of rotating compressor blades. As the air passes through the compressor, the pressure of the air increases. The compressed air is then directed into one or more combustors where fuel is injected into the compressed air and the mixture is ignited. The hot combustion gases are then directed from the combustion section to a turbine section by a transition duct. The hot combustion gases cause the stages of the turbine to rotate, which in turn, causes the compressor to rotate.
Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a portion of a gas turbine blade 100 in accordance with the prior art is shown. The gas turbine blade 100 comprises an attachment 105, a root 110 and an airfoil 115. The root 110 of the gas turbine blade 100 comprises a seal pin damper slot 125 encapsulated by a platform 120 and buttresses 130. The buttresses 130 at the leading edge and trailing edge of the encapsulated seal pin damper slot 125 are part of a buttress 130 continuously connected to the platform 120 and root 110.
When a gas turbine blade 100 is in use, there is a significant temperature difference between the platform 120 and the buttress 130. Due to the continuous connection between the platform 120 and the buttress 130 as shown in the prior art, there is a high concentration of stress at the platform cooling slots due to the significant temperature difference between the platform 120 and the buttress 130. These high stresses can cause cracking around the connection between the platform 120 and the buttress 130.